Container guard



Feb. 14, 1933. w. c. NORTH CONTAINER GUARD Filed July 51, 1931 gmento'c dummy Hill-m:

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/l v L Patented Feb. 14, 1933 PATEN FFICIE WILLIAM C. NORTH, OF SEBRING, FLORIDA CONTAINER GUARD Application filed July 3-1,

This invention relates to a guard for field crates, packing crates, boxes and other containers to protect the same against being crushed or otherwise damaged by the ropes,

:1 chains or the like commonly employed to fasten a number of crates, boxes or the like in stacked relation on trucks, wagons or other vehicles, and has generally in View to provide a simple, inexpensive, practical device of this character which is strong and durable, highly efficient in use, and which may be advantageously used in connection with practically all ordinary types of crates, boxes and other containers.

With the foregoing .general purpose in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, and their novel arrangement in a device of the present kind, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating the utility of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the guard; and

Figure 3 is a central cross section through the guard.

In the transportation of crates and boxes of fruit, vegetables and the like, it is common practice to stack the crates or boxes on vehicles such as wagons, trucks or cars, and to secure the crates or boxes in stacked relation by means of ropes or chains drawn tightly over the same. Ordinarily, the ropes or chains have direct contact with the crates or boxes, and while this is not particularly harmful to the intermediate crates or boxes, it frequently happens that where the ropes or chains extend across the outside crates or boxes the latter become seriously damaged due to the crushing effect of the ropes or chains thereagainst, particularly at the places along their corners which are engaged by the ropes or chains. This represents a materlal loss, not only in respect to damaged crates H and boxes,but also in respect to the damage done the fruit or other goods contained in 1931. Serial No. 554,334.

the crates or boxes. Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a guard which will permit securing of the crates or boxes by ropes, chains or the like in the usual manner, and which will serve 5; eflectively to protect the crates or boxes and their contents against damage by the securing elements.

To the foregoing end, the invention resides in the provision of either a cast guard, or a r, guard pressed or otherwise formed from relatively heavy sheet metal, comprising, as best illustrated in Fig. 2, a somewhat elongated body portion of angular cross section inclusive of a top horizontal flange, desig- 5 nated as 10, and a front vertical flangedireced downwardly from the top flange and designated as 12.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the top flange 10 is 79 formed in two sections designated as 10, 10*, respectively, which are spaced apart at their inner ends and flanged upwardly as at 14, 14, respectively, to form a flanged recess 16 medially of the top flange for a purpose which will presently appear.

Each upwardly directed flange 14 extends preferably from the rear edge of its related top flange section 10 to a point spaced rearwardly from the plane of the inner face of at the vertical frontflange 12 a distance approximating the thickness of the usual slats or boards from which field crates, packing crates and the like are formed, and from such point each flange is directed a limited distance inwardly towards the other flange 14 as indicated at 18.

Each top flange section 1O merges gradually into its related upwardly directed flange 14 through a rounded fillet-like formation 20, 9e and, likewise, rounded outer corners 22 are provided at the junction of the flanges 14 with the flanges 18, these rounded corners merging gradually with the rounded outer corners 24 at the junction of the flange sections 1O with the front flange 12.

A flange 26, preferably coextensive in length with the front flange 12, extends outwardly from said flange 12 at or near the bottom thereof, and in said flange 26 is ments is or are held efl'ectively against sliding ofl of the guard onto :the'container, but

2, up, I V

formed an elongated slot 28 the inner side Wall of which is constituted by the flange 12.

V In the use of the guard the same 'is disposed with its front flange 12' against the side of the crate, box or other container'and with its top flange 10 extending inwardly over the-top of the container, and the ropes,

chains or the like employed to secure the container are extended over the guard and 10 through the slot or eye28 in the flange 26..

Thus, due to the inherent rigidity of the' guard and to the relatively extensive bear- 'ing area of the same against the container,

By the provision of the: flange 26 havin g the slot 28 therein, and by passing the se-- curing 'elementior elements through the slot in said flange, the securing element or eleat the same time the elongation of the slot perinits'fa'll necessary movement of the se-- curing element or elements along the guard during tightening of the'securing elementor elements. 'In this connection, it is apparent that, if desired, the securing element or elemen'ts inay be knotted to either or both sides of the flange 26 in order to retain the' guard in a given vposition along the securingelementor elements; Furthermore,it is manifest thatby reason of the gradual'rounded terlock betweenthe guardandthe partition serves to hold the guard against sliding movement along the crate. Moreover', the "upwardly directed flanges 14 by taking a relapartition, 'meterially. assist in preventing crushing of the crate by the guard, and,as is apparent, by reason of the disposition of the inner faces of the flanges l8 inw ar'dly of the plane ofthe inner face of the flange 12, said flanges 18 are permitted to engage theedge of the cratepartition while the'flange 12 is' engaged against the side of the crate, so that when the guard is placed operativ'ely in engagement with a partitioned crate of. the character mentioned and as .illustratedin the drawing, substantially all of thefbearing faces of the guard have" firm bearing engegementwith the related parts of the crate,-'thus' any cutting or crushing of the latter by the securing element or elements when the same, j isfor are drawn tight-,is effectively avoided;

flange sections for merger of the dilferent'flanges of the guard is used on such crates, and the resulting intively broad bearing against the sides of'the further assisting in the accomplishment of the purpose of the guard. 7

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the in- Vention will be readily apparent to those skillediinthe art," and it will ofcourse be understood that changes in the form, proportion-and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims."

Iclai m r 1. A container-guard comprisinganelongated memberfiofangular cross section including a front vertical flange, top rearward- 1ydirectedflangesections spaced apart at their inner ends tapro ideaspace' to-receive the partition of "a, container, and upwardly directedfla'nges, at the innerjendsf of said.,;top

engagement withthe sides of the container partition;

l 2.- A container guard comprising an' elo'ngated member-10f angularr'iclfoss' sectio'nfineluding a front vertical flange, toprear-wa'rdly' directed flange sections spaced apart at their inner ends to provide a space to receive the partition of acontainer," and upwardly directedfianges at the front of the 'space'-between said top flange sections for coopera-' tion with the'ed'geof the containerpartition, thei rear faces of said upwardly directed flanges being I spaced" rearwardly from the plane of the rear face of the vertical 'flange a distance approximately equal to thethickness of thematerialfrom which] the sides of the container areconstructed 3.;Acontainer guardcomprising anelongated member of angular cross -section including afront vertical flange, top rearward- 1y "directed flange sections spaced apart at their inner ends medially of the guard, up-

wardly' directed flanges: at the inner ends of said top flange sections merging' with' said top flange sections through rounded filletlike formations, upwardly directed flanges at-the front of thespace between said top flanges formed as integral extensions of said first mentioned upwardly directed' flanges, i

the outside corners atthe junctioir of the upwardlydirected flanges being rounded and merging gradually in rounded formations withthe top flange'sections and the front flange, the rear faces 'of'the second mentioned upwardly directed flanges being disposed rear'wardlyof the plane of the rear face of the front flange; 1 r :='a

4. A containerguar'd comprising an: elon- V gated; body having top and bottom flanges .ofl'set in opposite directions, said top flange bein'gjadapted to engage and be supported by a container, and-means formed with the top 7 flange for interlockingiengagement ,with.,.a

c'ontainer partition to hold the guard against endwise movement: relative tov tli'econtainer which supports the guard; and -'said bottom signature.

WILLIAM C. NORTH. 

